The team announced that Backstrom’s operation went as planned on Thursday morning in Philadelphia. The procedure was done by Dr. William Meyers.

The 35-year-old Backstrom aggravated the injury while warming up before Minnesota’s first game of the Western Conference quarterfinal series at Chicago on April 30. Josh Harding was sent in to replace him, and Backstrom was unable to play the rest of the series.

The Wild have said Backstrom is expected to be fully recovered for the start of next season. Whether he’s still in the net for them is another matter. Backstrom will become an unrestricted free agent in July. He has played all seven of his NHL seasons with the Wild.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Penguins star Sidney Crosby, Wild goaltender Josh Harding and Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid are this season’s nominees for the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The award is presented to “the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

Crosby returned to form this year after missing extended time with concussion issues the past two seasons. The Penguins captain finished fourth in the NHL with 56 points despite missing 12 games because of injuries, including a broken jaw he suffered when hit in the face with a puck on March 30.

Harding was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last fall and missed 33 games as he underwent treatment. On April 22, he was activated from injured reserve and returned to the Wild lineup.

McQuaid suffered a season-threatening injury in September when he was diagnosed with a condition causing dangerous blood clots to form in his body. After undergoing two emergency operation to remove the clots, the defenseman dedicated himself to his recovery and was in the lineup when the Bruins opened the season against the Rangers in January.

A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund in the name of the winner, who will be announced during the 2013 Stanley Cup final.

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — Former Minnesota Wild player Derek Boogard’s family has filed a lawsuit against the NHL. It was filed late Friday in court in Chicago, according to his Chicago-based attorney.

In the lawsuit, the family says the NHL is responsible for the brain damage that Boogaard sustained during six seasons as an enforcer in the league, and for his addiction to prescription painkillers.

According to the lawsuit, in the 2008 season alone, Boogaard received more than a thousand pills from Minnesota Wild doctors, trainers and staff. His addiction was so strong, the lawsuit says he’d often take 10 pain killers or sleeping pills a day.

The lawsuit further alleges that the NHL failed to monitor his prescriptions and failed to have proper procedures in sharing medical records across the NHL doctors, dentists and trainers.

Boogaard was found dead of an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol on May 13, 2011. He was 28.

Boogard was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain ailment that is caused by repeated blows to the head.

The Minnesota Wild has no comment on the lawsuit, the team’s spokesman Ryan Stanzel said Sunday night.

Read a copy of the lawsuit.

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Despite producing only the fourth postseason appearance in the franchise’s 12-year history, Wild were palpably disappointed as they met for the final time of the season on Saturday. Not only because of the early exit, in five games of the first-round series against Chicago, but because of the realization that a few more wins would have given them a better seed that didn’t force an early matchup with the team with the best record in the NHL.

“The culture is starting to change and expectations are rising, but we still have a long way to go,” center Matt Cullen said.

The 5-8-1 record in April, including lopsided losses at home in the final stretch to non-qualifiers Calgary and Edmonton, put coach Mike Yeo’s status in question. But the 39-year-old said his conversation with general manager Chuck Fletcher about his job was brief but reassuring. The two of them appeared together at a season-ending news conference at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

“He’s our coach,” Fletcher said, later adding: “If you never give guys a chance to get better, you can’t just keep churning every year or two with players and staff. You’ve got to have some semblance of continuity.”

Owner Craig Leipold, who bought the team in 2008, isn’t in a place to be patient with incremental improvement. After approving 13-year, $98 million contracts for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the time to advance deep into the postseason is now.

Yeo is the second hire by Fletcher without prior experience as an NHL head coach. Todd Richards was fired after two seasons. Were it not for a tiebreaker advantage the Wild had over the Blue Jackets for eighth place, Richards would’ve taken his team to the playoffs in place of Yeo.

“I’ll be the first to say that I know that I can get better and I will get better, but I also know that we’ve done a lot of good things here,” Yeo said.

Persuading stars like Parise and Suter to come to Minnesota wasn’t easy, but this summer might be more of a challenge for Fletcher and the front office.

Goalie Niklas Backstrom, who is 35, will be an unrestricted free agent. So will Cullen, who is 36, and another top-nine forward in Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who is 29 but hasn’t regained his pre-concussion form. Restricted free agents include hard-hitting wing Cal Clutterbuck and defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella and Justin Falk.

Then there are several expensive veterans entering the last year of their contracts: defenseman Tom Gilbert and top-six forwards Dany Heatley, Jason Pominville and Devin Setoguchi. The salary cap will go down league-wide, making money decisions more difficult.

Backstrom will have sports hernia surgery on Wednesday. He was hurt before Game 1 in warm-ups and unable to play at all in the series. The Wild rode him hard down the stretch in the push for the playoffs, but they refused to second-guess that decision. Fletcher said seven other NHL goalies played more this year and none were hurt.

“If you’re going into a real important game, it’s real important that your players look back at the most important position and say, ‘OK, we’re good tonight,’” Yeo said. “And Backy has that respect of his teammates.”

Josh Harding performed admirably on short notice in relief. After missing two months in adjustment to multiple sclerosis medication, he said he’s confident he can be the starting goalie next season. Fletcher said so, too. Rookie Darcy Kuemper didn’t look ready when Harding got hurt in Game 4, giving up a goal on the first shot he faced. Another prospect, Matt Hackett, was sent to Buffalo in the trade for Jason Pominville. So the Wild might need to sign or trade for a veteran with NHL experience.

“I think that the way that I handled myself with that … you can definitely take positives and make sure that you can learn what you’ve been through,” Harding said.

The organization still is flush with young talent, with top prospects like Brett Bulmer, defenseman Matt Dumba and Zack Phillips working toward the NHL. Mikael Granlund’s first season was mostly a struggle, but Charlie Coyle was good enough as a rookie to play on the first line with Parise and Mikko Koivu. Defenseman Jonas Brodin’s transition was so smooth he paired with Suter on the blue line and was widely considered a snub for the three finalists for the Calder Trophy.

Parise and Suter, one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy, were as good as advertised. But Parise was engulfed by Chicago’s tough defense in the playoffs and scored just one goal. Koivu, the captain, didn’t score at all. The Parise-Koivu-Coyle line was a collective minus-17. And the Wild went 0 for 17 on the power play in the series. Missing Heatley to a shoulder injury and, until he returned for Game 4, Pominville because of a head injury hurt the Wild a lot. Despite fielding the deepest and most-talented group of forwards in franchise history, they still lacked the scoring depth necessary to keep up with a team like the Blackhawks.

“From my standpoint it wasn’t good enough in the playoffs,” Parise said. “So that’s frustrating, that you have to think about all summer.”

Starting next season, the Wild will join Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg in their new division. Only two of those six future foes made the playoffs this year, but the Blackhawks have plenty of young stars and the Blues do too, enough to finish in fourth place in the Western Conference.

“Playing Chicago clearly shows you where you have to get to. You marvel at their talent and the depth that they have,” Fletcher said.

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Chicago is moving on in the postseason for the first time since the championship run in 2010, and will face either San Jose or Detroit if the Red Wings get past Anaheim.

The way the Blackhawks have dominated, anything less than a trip to the Stanley Cup finals would be a disappointment for them.

They got off to a record start and captured the Presidents’ Trophy for finishing with more points than any other team.

Now, they’re eyeing the biggest prize of all. And after bowing out in the first round the past two years, they sure are looking good.

Hossa scored off a feed from Jonathan Toews late in the first period. Marcus Kruger made it 2-0 with a wraparound early in the second, and Hossa chased the Wild’s Josh Harding when he knocked in a rebound minutes later.

Then, after Torrey Mitchell scored for Minnesota, Chicago’s Andrew Shaw scored against Darcy Kuemper. Patrick Sharp added his fifth goal of the series early in the third period, and that was more than enough for Crawford.

Coming off his second career playoff shutout, he saved 21 shots, and the Blackhawks became the third team to advance in this postseason, along with San Jose and Ottawa. They also bucked a recent trend of early exits for Presidents’ Trophy winners.

The team with the most regular-season points had been eliminated in the first round in three of the previous four years. The Wild were hoping to replicate what the Los Angeles Kings did last year and win the Stanley Cup as the eighth seed, but the Blackhawks simply had too much skill, speed and depth.

The Wild were also short-handed after losing one of their top scorers in Dany Heatley to season-ending left shoulder surgery late in the season. They also had to get by without goalie Niklas Backstrom after he suffered a leg injury in warm-ups before Game 1.

That forced the Wild to go with Harding, who played in just five games during the regular season after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last summer. And he also got banged up in this series. He left Game 4 after a collision with Toews in which his legs got straddled around the left goal post, and he wasn’t sharp in this one, allowing three goals on 18 shots even though he was deemed well enough to start.

Coach Mike Yeo turned to Kuemper after Hossa’s second goal. And, for a moment, the Wild looked like they might get back into this one.

Moments after Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon hit the right post, Mitchell ripped a one-timer past Crawford midway through the second period. But Shaw answered 35 seconds later with his first career playoff goal when he swept the puck in from a bad angle just to the right of the net, making it 4-1.

Crawford, meanwhile, continued to erase doubts about his ability to perform in the postseason. That was a big question coming into this series after he let in several soft goals in last year’s first-round loss to Phoenix. He’s been nothing but solid in this series.

He even had the fans chanting his name at several points. For example, when Crawford stopped a routine shot by Jason Pominville from the wing and scrambled back toward the middle of the net for a neat pad save against Mikko Koivu on the rebound. That foiled another power play by the Wild after they went 0 for 15 in the first four games.

The Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead late in the first period when Hossa took a feed from Toews in the left circle and fired the puck between Harding’s glove and the post. The assist gave Toews his first point of the playoffs.

Kruger made it 2-0 when his wraparound deflected off Harding’s pad and into the net for his first career playoff goal.

Notes: Blackhawks C Dave Bolland and G Ray Emery remain sidelined by lower body injuries, although coach Joel Quenneville said they’re “real close.” Bolland said it’s 50-50 he would have been able to play if “it was do or die” for the Blackhawks, but he expects to be ready in the next round. … Quenneville moved ahead of Mike Keenan and took sole possession of second place on the Blackhawks’ playoff wins list with 34. Billy Reay is the club record-holder with 57 from 1963-77.

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One more win and that changes.

The Blackhawks are on the verge of advancing in the playoffs for the first time since they captured the championship in 2010, with a 3-1 lead over the Minnesota Wild.

They can wrap up this first-round series in Game 5 at the United Center on Thursday and take what they hope will be the next step toward another title.

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Bryan Bickell also scored and Corey Crawford made 25 saves for the Blackhawks, who built a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven matchup.

The Wild had another goalie get hurt when Josh Harding’s injury forced Darcy Kuemper into action after the first intermission. Sharp scored on Chicago’s first shot at the rookie 62 seconds into the second period.

Minnesota, the only one of the 16 NHL playoff teams without a power-play goal this postseason, went scoreless in six man-advantage situations and is 0 for 15 in the series. Game 5 is back in Chicago Thursday night.

While Harding was recovering from a long layoff related to his adjustment to multiple sclerosis, diagnosed last summer, the Wild rode Niklas Backstrom down the stretch. When Backstrom sustained an unspecified injury to his lower body while warming up before Game 1, Harding was sent in.

This time, Harding was hurt after Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews landed on top of him during a collision in the crease. Harding’s legs were straddled around the left post. He got up gingerly, staying in to finish the opening period after shaking his left leg back and forth several times and testing it with a slow skate behind the net. But Harding didn’t return to the bench, and Kuemper was in.

The sixth-round draft pick from 2009, who made only three starts this season, had a tough initiation to the playoffs. Sharp stole an off-target pass by Zach Parise at the Wild blue line, skated the other way with a one-on-one and sent a wrist shot between Kuemper’s pads for a 2-0 lead that deflated the energy in the arena.

Harding stopped five of six shots; Kuemper made 16 saves. He also gave up Bickell’s third goal of the series, in the third period on a high shot that scraped the top of the net.

Ultimately, though, the guy between the pipes wasn’t going to matter much for the Wild the way this game went.

The Blackhawks haven’t been themselves as an offense in this series, save for the 5-2 victory in Game 2, but that’s another testament to their dominance. They’ve got the depth everywhere on the roster to sustain a lagging top line.

Marian Hossa, Toews and Brandon Saad have combined for only one goal, and Toews and Saad don’t even have an assist yet.

But the Wild have had the same problem, and they’re not nearly as equipped to withstand it. Parise, Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle have combined for only one goal themselves, and together they’ve posted a minus-14 rating over four games.

The Wild were all over the ice at the start, eliciting roar after roar from the announced crowd of 19,378, even drawing an interference call on Michal Handzus 66 seconds into the game. Those stifling Blackhawks penalty killers swarmed the Wild on their first try, barely allowing any clean attempts, but the Wild had a lot more shooting space and puck possession on their subsequent power plays.

Even with Jason Pominville’s sharp shot back on the point with the first unit, the home team kept misfiring. Whether a one-timer that zipped wide of the net or a slap shot blocked by one of the self-sacrificing Blackhawks, Chicago blocked 20 shots over the first two periods.

And the Wild, in addition to their struggles with shooting accuracy, paid for a couple of sloppy plays. There was Parise’s intercepted pass in the second period. And midway through the opening period, Hossa picked off a pass from Koivu to Parise in the Wild zone. Hossa sent the puck to Handzus, whose slap shot was tipped in by a perfectly positioned Sharp at the edge of the crease.

The fans were all over the officials for some non-calls in the second period, even though the Wild had all that time with an extra skater. With every shot that went wide, the collective groan from the building sounded a bit like a roller coaster whizzing by.

Tired of cheering big hits along the boards, they just wanted a goal — a goal that never came, thanks to the Blackhawks.

Chicago even took consecutive penalties in the third period, essentially giving the Wild a double power play. But they couldn’t get enough pucks close enough to Crawford to break him down like they did in Game 3.

NOTES: Pominville returned from a two-week absence after taking an elbow to the chin from Dustin Brown in a game against Los Angeles. … Sharp has 27 goals in 68 career playoff games, behind only Hossa (37 in 134) on the Blackhawks. … Backstrom appeared on the bench in full gear for the third period.

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Harding was injured with about four minutes to play in the first period on a collision with Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. Trainers came out to examine him, but he remained in the game and finished the first period.

But backup Darcy Kuemper came out to start the second period. Kuemper played in six games this season, but spent most of the year with the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Houston. He went 1-2 with a 2.08 goals-against average for the Wild.

Harding started the first four games of these playoffs only after starter Niklas Backstrom was injured in warm-ups before Game 1. The Wild did not immediately announce Harding’s status.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – From long lines for Wild T-shirts, to packed hockey bars even when the team’s on the road –- St. Paul’s getting a financial boost from the postseason run of the state’s favorite hockey team.

Cossetta’s manager said people ordered pizzas in record numbers to take home when the Wild played in Chicago last week.

And on Tuesday night, manager Ray Vanyo is hoping their remodeled rooftop will be packed.

“The extended season is huge for us especially because it was a shortened season,” he said. “To get the extra playoff games is great.”

As for Jamie and Michael Freeman, they’re on their honeymoon this week.

“We’re going to try and find some tickets,” she said.

Taylor Jabs already has hers.

“We’ve gone to 13 games, so pretty much all of them,” Jabs said. “And we’re not even season ticket holders.”

Vanyo put the day in perspective.

“When everyone’s going to a hockey game in their shorts and flip-flops that’s a special time in Minnesota,” he said.

As recently as a month ago, Zucker didn’t even know he’d be on the post-season roster — and that’s not lost on him just because of that shining moment in Game 3.

Zucker’s goal changed the series, but he’s hoping not his perspective.

He’s been up and down and a strong play off is another step in proving he’s NHL-worthy.

“It’s been a huge process, obviously,” Zucker said. “It’s not easy going up and down, but it’s something I got to learn with and learn from and just try to get my game better, and make sure I’m here all the time.”

Now, focus for Game 4 is paramount, which is a point Zucker’s teammates are trying to impart on him.

“From my experiences, sometimes you get a little too hot, so we’ll just try to talk him down and get back to playing the simple way we have been playing,” forward Devin Setoguchi said.

But you can’t deny that this last week has been one cool ride in the NHL.

“It’s been a ton of fun and a great thing to have my rookie year,” Zucker added.

The Chicago Blackhawks, on the other hand, are not used to game-winning celebrations that don’t involve them.

“You can’t be satisfied with that effort,” Blackhawks’ captain Jonathan Toews said. “We had great goal tending and it kept us in that game all game, and without him, we probably wouldn’t have stood a chance, so it’s up to us to respond.”

What’s scary about the Wild’s Game 3 win, however, is this: did they simply awaken the giant of the NFL for Game 4?

Pominville also practiced with the team on Monday. He hasn’t played since taking an elbow to the chin in a game against Los Angeles two weeks ago from Kings captain Dustin Brown. Pominville, acquired by the Wild right before the deadline last month in a trade with Buffalo, declined to be specific about his injury.

“Obviously not being on the ice the best time of the year has not been easy. It’s been a tough rehab. A few things have gone different ways, but I think I’ll prefer to comment on those once the season is over,” said Pominville, who was fetched along with a 2014 fourth-round draft pick from the Sabres in exchange for prospects Matt Hackett and Johan Larsson, and selections in the first and second round in this year’s draft.

Pominville acknowledged being upset by the hit from Brown, who drew a two-game suspension from the NHL.

“I know he’s a guy that plays hard and hits hard, but I just don’t think the elbows are needed when you try to hit a guy,” Pominville said.

Coach Mike Yeo called Pominville’s presence “another good step” but declined to declare him in or out of the lineup.

“I’m just doing my best, trying to get the proper treatment done, doing my best to get back to where I need to be,” Pominville said.

Yeo said goalie Josh Harding would start again but said he wouldn’t announce the backup, Darcy Kuemper or Niklas Backstrom, until game time. Backstrom suffered a lower-body injury in warm-ups before Game 1.

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was absent from the morning skate because his wife had a baby boy. Coach Joel Quenneville said the first-time father Keith was expected back in time for the game, however.

“That’s good news all the way around,” Quenneville said.

Allowing Keith to be present for the birth was an easy decision, the coach said. Family comes first.

“I’m very happy he was there in time and it all worked out,” Quenneville said.

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Each is a Norris finalist for the first time.

Subban topped the league’s defensemen with 11 goals and 27 assists. Letang finished second in the scoring race among defensemen despite missing more than a quarter of the season. Suter of Madison, Wis., ranked second among players at his position in assists (28) and third in points (32).

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association submitted ballots at the end of the regular season. The winner will be announced during the Stanley Cup Finals.

The finalists for the Vezina Trophy for top goaltender are announced Wednesday.

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The cuts and bruises on Stephane Veilleux’s face said it all.

“Yeah, that’s playoffs hockey,” the veteran Wild forward said. “That’s what it’s about — paying the price for your teammates.”

If ever there was a time to say “you should see the other guy,” it was last night.

The Wild took it to the Blackhawks physically, out-hitting them 34-13. It showed.

“That’s the way we wanna play,” forward Charlie Coyle said. “When we play that way, we got a good result. And that’s what we wanted. (If) we stick with that physical play and stick to our structure and our systems, then we’ll play good.”

“Everybody (brought) their “A game,” Veilleux said. “And I think next game, it’ll be even more important to put another gear to our game, and just play the same way. But even harder. And come out hard and hopefully the result will be on our side.”

The Wild know the Hawks won’t just back down. They expect a pushback in Game 4, both figuratively and literally.

“I’m expecting them to play a more physical game, and more grinding game,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “Part of the challenge for us next game will be to brace against their pushback. We know that they’re gonna come hard, and (I’m) anxious to see how we respond against that.”

“We’re all gonna be hungry,” Veilleux said. “It’s huge, and I think if we stick to our plan, I like our chances.”

Galley: Game 3 Excitement

ST. PAUL (AP) — Beating the Chicago Blackhawks usually requires a certain kind of performance: bruising, aggressive and unflappable.

That’s precisely what the Minnesota Wild produced, entertaining the fans at their first home playoff game in five years.

They had a little luck, too, when Jason Zucker blindly sent his bad-angle overtime shot toward the goal.

Zucker scored at 2:15 of the extra period to give the Wild a 3-2 victory on Sunday to pull within 2-1 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

“I don’t know if I even saw the net. I probably didn’t even look at the net,” said the rookie Zucker, who raced to the corner and jumped against the glass to celebrate. “I just tried shooting it, and it happened to go in for me.”

Pierre-Marc Bouchard had a goal for the Wild after Johnny Oduya scored for the Blackhawks late in the first period. Patrick Kane had two assists for the Blackhawks and has five in the series.

WCCO-AM Audio: MN Wild Players/Coach

Zach Parise’s first goal of the series came early in the third period, but Duncan Keith got one back for the Blackhawks with 2:46 left in regulation after a slow line change by the suddenly conservative Wild.

That forced the second overtime in three games of this best-of-seven series. But rather than losing their edge in the locker room, the Wild returned to the ice after the third intermission with the same fire they had all afternoon.

“They just took it to another level,” Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said.

He added: “You can’t go out there and try to make pretty plays. It’s got to be ugly. We’re not doing that enough. Once we start doing that, we’ve got the strength, the speed and skill to get on the board and make things happen.”

Game 4 is here on Tuesday night.

“I think we have to get greasy goals if we want to be successful. There’s too much on the outside. We’ve got to get determined in that front area,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

After taking the top-seeded Blackhawks to overtime in Game 1 at Chicago, the Wild fell flat and lost 5-2 in Game 2. They took full advantage of the shift in venue and fed off the noise and excitement in the building.

Trying to match the Blackhawks and their speed, deft passing and seemingly infinite depth would be an impossible task for the Wild, so they knew they needed to bring more energy to fuel the announced crowd of 19,238 and a nasty streak to distract the visitors a bit from their finesse-based game.

The hits in the first period were 17-4 in favor of the Wild and 34-13 for the game, with eight by Cal Clutterbuck and seven by Devin Setoguchi.

“They’ve got some physical players, and I think the crowd was really into the game too,” Keith said. “Loud building. They got that rave music going all game long. It gets the place rocking in there.”

Corey Crawford made 34 saves for the Blackhawks, but the Wild found a potential weakness on the top shelf. All three of their goals went high. The last two of them came off a feisty forecheck.

Rookie Charlie Coyle fished the puck off the end boards to set up Parise, the first goal of the series for the first line. Then Matt Cullen didn’t give up on maintaining possession after falling on his stomach behind the net in overtime, poking a pass to Zucker before Oduya swooped in.

“I’m a Minnesotan, so I know how long people have been waiting for playoff hockey. It’s a lot of fun,” Cullen said.

Bouchard and Stephane Veilleux are the only two players left from the 2003 Wild team that reached the Western Conference finals, and Veilleux played for two other teams before returning last season. They’re two of five players, with Mikko Koivu, Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom, remaining from 2008, the last time they made the playoffs.

“You’ve got to go through it, and you’ve got to experience it,” Parise said. “Remember that some of these guys have only been in three playoff games. But the good sign is that we got better from the first two games.”

The Blackhawks started slowly in the playoffs in 2010, too, when they won the Stanley Cup. With 10 players still around from that season’s roster, including most of their star-packed core, they’re poised to make another run for the title.

Three years ago, they fell behind Nashville 2-1 in the first round before winning the series in six games. They needed six games to beat Vancouver next, too, before sweeping San Jose to reach the finals.

“We had the momentum going into overtime, but we’re just going to have to forget about that one,” Crawford said.

The Wild outshot the Blackhawks 29-17 over the first 40 minutes. Harding stopped 25 shots in all.

“It was a close game, but I think at the end of the day, they deserved to win tonight,” Keith said.

A Great Step — Win Or Not

Yes, the game was important. But it was also symbolic. It may have helped stir up a deeper sense of support for the Minnesota Wild.

Wayne Petersen is the director of marketing for the Minnesota Wild. He stays there have been three big days for the Wild, signing Parise and Sudor, the game after the lockout ended and then Sunday’s playoff game.

“We’ve got a great team, great fans,” Petersen said. “Hopefully this is the first year of many.”

Says fan John Carrico of Roseville, “This is a step of great hockey and many great seasons to come.”

——

NOTES: Richard Park, who scored the winning goal for Minnesota in Game 6 of the first-round series in 2003 against Colorado, was shown on the video board in a suite right after the clip of that play. … The Blackhawks played again without backup goalie Ray Emery and center Dave Bolland. Coach Joel Quenneville said both of them skated before the game and their status remains day to day. As for whether they’d be able to play in Game 4? “We’ll see,” Quenneville said.

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Stephane Veilleux replaced Zenon Konopka on the fourth line for Game 3 on Sunday. The Blackhawks won the first two games in Chicago. Veilleux skated with Torrey Mitchell and Mike Rupp.

Before the game, the Wild recalled three forwards from their AHL affiliate: Mikael Granlund, Jake Dowell and Veilleux. Dowell and Veilleux, both veterans, spent most of the season with Houston. Granlund was sent to the Aeros after struggling through the first few weeks of his NHL career with the Wild.

Veilleux and Pierre-Marc Bouchard are the only players around who played on each of Minnesota’s previous playoff teams in 2003, 2007 and 2008.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – The hunt is on for the hottest ticket in the Twin Cities. Wild Fans are doing what they can to find the best seat at The Xcel Energy Center to watch the Wild take on the Chicago Blackhawks.

It’s the first time the Wild have been in the playoffs in five years and fans are scrambling to find a way to support their team by being at the game Sunday afternoon.

Mike Nowakowski runs Ticket King and says Wild Fans are excited to cheer for their team on home ice.

“The Sunday ticket is by far the hottest of the series so far,” Nowakowski said. “Tickets – we can’t keep them in inventory now.”

Nowakowski’s agents have been busy, answering calls from the thousands trying to get into the X for the big game.

“We haven’t seen this hot of a Wild ticket since 2003 when the Wild went on that crazy playoff run,” he said.

Wild fans want tickets now because future games are not a guarantee. Right now, ticket prices are all over the place.

“I think our least expensive ticket right now is $125, and if you want some fancy seats we have some seats for $275 a ticket right down center ice, a couple of rows up,” he said.

Jerry and John Scholl just arrived from Chicago. They are the first wave of Blackhawk fans expected to file into Minnesota for Sunday’s game.

“We’re sitting center ice, 18th row, dead center ice for $200,” John said.

John bought his tickets online, much like many Wild Fans. If you want to go to Sunday or Tuesday’s game, Nowakowski says using your computer is your best bet.

Some tickets are still available for Sunday’s game, but they are expected to go fast.

In case you can’t get a ticket, there will be a rally outside the Xcel Energy Center as the Wild kickoff the third playoff game. It goes from noon to 2 p.m., and former Wild and North Star players will be on hand.

“Each game we’ve had some good ones that we just didn’t finish, and we’ve got to put those in,” Parise said.

So many chances, yet so few goals from the Wild, who have managed just three in the first two games. But center Mikko Koivu says the many goal attempts are a positive.

“I think it’s always frustrating obviously when you can’t put the puck to the net, but the good thing is that we did get some chances, so we just have to believe it’s going to go in sooner or later,” Koivu said.

Since the beginning of April, in 16 games – including the two so far in the playoffs — the Wild have scored more than two goals only four times. No surprise, that’s four of their five wins.

“I’m sure there’s lots of reasons when pucks are not going in, but you just have to stick with it and we know we’re able to score goals in this league,” Koivu said. “Just have to create some traffic and find the holes.”

Coach Mike Yeo was coy when asked if there would be any shake-up in the lines, but he knows that a spark has to come from somewhere.

“I’m gonna be obviously a little bit vague today regarding some things, but the bottom line is that we’ve identified some things, and we’ve discussed them and we’ve worked on some things,” Yeo said. “We’re just excited to get a chance to come back and play again tomorrow.”

Game three is set for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Xcel Energy Center.

Patrick Kane added two assists as Chicago put together a strong start and impressive finish to open a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Bryan Bickell added an empty-net score to his winning goal in the Blackhawks’ 2-1 overtime victory in the postseason opener Tuesday night.

Game 3 is Sunday afternoon in Minnesota.

Devin Setoguchi and Marco Scandella scored for the Wild, who are making their first postseason appearance in five years.

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Backstrom was scratched from Game 1 with a leg injury after he hurt himself while he warmed up for the playoff opener. Josh Harding replaced him in the lineup and drew the start again Friday night.

Stoner got hurt during Minnesota’s 2-1 overtime loss on Tuesday night, but the Wild have declined to say anything about the injury. Justin Falk will take Stoner’s place in Minnesota’s lineup.

Wild forward Jason Pominville also was out for Game 2. He missed the last two games of the regular season after he was elbowed in the chin by Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings.

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With Clayton Stoner and Niklas Backstrom out, that’s not one but two reasons for the other defensemen to raise their game.

The Wild blocked 21 shots in Game 1 — Spurgeon had seven of them, and both are Wild playoff records.

“I’m not exactly sure how to explain it, but if you’re able to block a shot, it can help the team,” Spurgeon said.

It was Spurgeon’s first playoff game, but the fact he played like a seasoned vet was because he felt like one.

“We had a nice run in the playoffs in the AHL and went all the way to the finals,” he said.

And whether or not Backstrom’s back, Spurgeon expects to keep playing the same.

“We have great confidence in both our goaltenders,” he said. “No matter who’s in net, we’re going to play the same.”

Wild forward Jason Pominville also missed Thursday’s practice and will not travel to Chicago for Friday’s game. He missed Game 1.

Coach Mike Yeo says if Backstrom is unable to go, Josh Harding will get the start on Friday night after he made 35 saves in Minnesota’s 2-1 overtime loss in the opener Tuesday night.

Blackhawks center Dave Bolland and goalie Ray Emery have been ruled out for Game 2 due to lower-body injuries. Emery skated on Thursday, and coach Joel Quenneville says both players could travel to Minnesota for Game 3 on Sunday.

Backstrom was scratched with a leg injury after he hurt himself while reaching for a puck as he warmed up for Game 1. Harding, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis diagnosis last summer and played in just five games this season, responded with one of his best games of the season.

Pominville missed the last two games of the regular season after he was elbowed in the chin by Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings, and Stoner is dealing with an unspecified injury.

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But after a spectacular spot-start during Game 1 of the Wild’s Western Conference Quarterfinals in Chicago, the impact of Harding’s story is undeniable.

“That was a phenomenal, ridiculous performance,” said Judd Yeager, who watched the game from his Forest Lake home. “You can’t say enough about him, some of those saves were just incredible.”

Yeager, 42, is president of the Minnesota Sled Hockey Association. He plays goalie for the Minnesota Northern, persuaded to join the team after losing his lower left leg in a 2010 car accident.

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Over the past 36 hours, teammates have called and texted Yeager constantly, many considering Harding’s effort a watershed moment.

“We have youth in our (sled hockey) program that can look at this as an example — realize that this guy is performing at the highest level of our sport,” Yeager said. “Hopefully this sends message that if you have a disability, have a competitive bone in your body and you want to play hockey, you can do it.”

Phones have also been busy at the National Multiple Society’s Upper Midwest Chapter. The Minneapolis office is encouraged by the thought of Harding’s story receiving national attention.

“He’s certainly one-of-a-kind and his interest in raising awareness about the disease is so positive,” said Anna Kuchera, marketing and public relations director for the Upper Midwest Chapter. “For him to show that you can live so actively and so meaningfully is incredibly inspiring for the MS community.”

Even the most hardcore Blackhawks fans admired Harding’s performance, splashing encouraging comments across sports message boards. That’s usually a place for negativity and trash talk.

Actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, took to Twitter to salute Harding.

“NHL playoffs! Yes !!! Josh Harding… Great story,” Fox tweeted Tuesday night.

Harding largely avoided the health-related questions after Tuesday’s game, refusing to dwell on his disease or journey. He was instead more upset he couldn’t keep Bryan Bickell’s final shot out of the net.

“No comment,” he said again and again.

“Good for him,” said Wild coach Mike Yeo. “I think we should respect that. Even I have to catch myself sometimes. But the reality is he’s a hockey player, and that’s the way he wants to be treated.”

Harding may not want to talk about it, but his play on the ice speaks volumes.

“This is a feel-good moment for everybody,” Yeager said. “I lost my leg, Josh has MS, we all have our issues now what do you do with it?”

Playing hockey is one hell of a good place to start.

Corey Crawford settled down after allowing a weak goal in the opening minutes. Marian Hossa also scored, and the Blackhawks took the early lead in this first-round series.

Game 2 is Friday at the United Center.

“We just needed to stay patient,” Bickell said. “We were getting our opportunities. Not odd-man rushes like they were, but we got the one, and to capitalize on it is huge. With our speed, through the whole season a lot of teams were trying to shut us down and let us get frustrated.”

The Blackhawks finally put this one away when Johnny Oduya chipped the puck off the boards up to Viktor Stalberg on the right side. Stalberg then dished it on the two-on-one rush to Bickell, who was all alone for the winning backhander at 16:35.

Big things are expected in Chicago after a spectacular regular season that included a record start and the team’s first Presidents’ Trophy since 1991.

The Blackhawks are eyeing a run to the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years. They have been eliminated in the first round the past two seasons after beating Philadelphia for the championship in 2010, and they realize that for all they accomplished thus far in 2013, they’ll ultimately be judged by what happens in the playoffs.

They seemingly caught a break before the game when Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom was scratched because of a leg injury suffered while reaching for a puck in the pregame warm-ups.

Josh Harding replaced him and more than held his own after being limited to just five games following a multiple sclerosis diagnosis last summer. Harding made 35 saves.

“Phenomenal,” coach Mike Yeo said. “It’s hard to sit here and try to paint an accurate picture of what he’s gone through, because I have no idea, we have no idea. He’s a guy that, certainly, for many reasons you’re rooting for.”

Yeo didn’t have much of an update on Backstrom, although he did say, “It was a bit of a curveball to say the least.”

The Wild, trying to match what the Los Angeles Kings did a year ago and win the Stanley Cup as an eight seed, took the lead just under five minutes into the game when Cal Clutterbuck fooled Crawford with a soft shot from the left circle.

The goal on Minnesota’s first shot brought back some bad memories for Blackhawks fans who remember him allowing several soft goals in the playoffs against Phoenix a year ago.

Hossa tied it just over two minutes into the second period, streaking down the left side, getting behind Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin and firing the puck between Harding’s pads after taking a feed from Patrick Kane.

Harding made a big save with his right pad from point-blank range on Kane after he beat Marco Scandella in the opening minutes of the third period to preserve the 1-1 tie.

Chicago appeared to take the lead midway through the third. Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon fell on a loose puck just outside the crease, and the Blackhawks kept swatting at it. Jonathan Toews knocked it into the net, but the whistle had already blown.

Blackhawks fans responded with some nasty chants, but they were letting out big sighs of relief two minutes later when a wraparound shot by Minnesota’s Jason Zucker slid across the crease.

After five of their six playoff games against Phoenix last year went to overtime, the Blackhawks found themselves in a familiar spot.

They almost won it in OT when Hossa skated toward the net and drew Harding to the ice, but the goalie barely deflected his backhanded shot. Crawford then had a big blocker save on Zach Parise.

“We were able to battle through a lot today,” Crawford said. “We battled through that first goal, had a couple of PKs (penalty kills) in overtime, one in the third there. Our guys did a solid job. It was definitely a good test for us.”

Notes: Kane is sporting a playoff mullet again. “I think it’s fun,” he said. “It’s good for a good laugh or two. It’s something that’s been a little bit of a tradition.” The youthful looking Kane gained national attention when he grew the mullet for the championship run in 2010 and he went with it again the following year. He went with a beard, instead, last year. But on Tuesday, he was all business up front and party in the back. … Besides Emery, the Blackhawks were without Dave Bolland (lower body injury).

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Backstrom appeared to injure his left leg reaching for a puck during pregame warmups and headed to the locker room. He was replaced in the lineup by Josh Harding.

The Wild were also without right wing Jason Pominville, who missed the last two games of the regular season after he was elbowed in the chin by Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings.

The Wild finished eighth in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks led the NHL with 77 points in the lockout-shortened 48-game season.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – There’s something about hockey that always comes back to hair.

But for the playoffs Wild fans are getting a clean start.

Tim Meyer has had a beard since 1979.

“I really don’t know what I look like without hair on my face,” he said.

He was one of the fans who stopped by Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday for the “playoff shave-off.”

Fans and players shave their beards, then let them grow for as long as the Wild is the playoffs.

Meyer’s sister said his new look will take some getting used to.

Participants could get before and after pictures of their shaves, in addition to earning “Blood Sweat and Beards” shirts.

Pominville missed the last two games of the regular season after he was elbowed in the chin by Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings. He practiced Monday but coach Mike Yeo says he’s “not quite ready.”

Yeo says the Wild have to “look at the big picture” and make sure that when he returns “we get him back in for good.”

The Wild finished eighth in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks led the NHL with 77 points.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Mike Rupp showed up for the Wild’s first playoff practice Monday with a new look.

Call it a new take on the playoff beard.

“It’s a special time of year,” Rupp said. “You pull out all the stops I guess.”

If there’s anyone on the Wild who knows about this time of year, its Rupp, who won the 2003 Stanley Cup in his rookie season with New Jersey. Matt Cullen is the only other Wild player who’s won the honor.

“You can’t really put it in words. It’s what you play for. It’s a lot of different emotions. It’s a fun time but it’s a rollercoaster ride. And I think the teams that benefit the most are the teams that just stay focused, keep their eyes facing forward,” he said. “You don’t get too high, don’t get too low. There’s a lot of ups and downs in a series, ups and downs in a hockey game in the playoffs, and everything’s magnified. So, it’s just about staying the course and keeping focused.”

There are 11 players on the Wild with absolutely no playoff experience whatsoever. And according to Wild Coach Mike Yeo – that makes guys like Rupp incredibly valuable.

“That experience is huge. As far as their play and their ability to go out and lead the way, but also just to share with some of the guys that haven’t been here before what to expect and how to deal with it,” Yeo said.

Rupp adds that the post season is a very special time that’s filled with intensity.

“This is the time of the year where everything in the world just stops in our minds,” Rupp said. “And we just dig in even more.”

Jonathan Toews and Co. also know all the reasons for concern heading into their playoff series against the Minnesota Wild.

The Blackhawks are favored to make it to the Stanley Cup for the second time in four seasons, but the Wild bring plenty of talent into Game 1 on Tuesday night. Then there is Chicago’s recent postseason history, and the checkered performance for past winners of the Presidents’ Trophy, adding to the intrigue.

“Everyone knows, if you look at how the playoffs have gone the past couple years, if you’re the first or the eighth seed, it doesn’t really matter,” Toews said after the Blackhawks practiced at the United Center on Monday. “So as soon as Game 1 starts tomorrow, everything that happened before that is pretty meaningless and we know that.”

Minnesota was thought to be a Stanley Cup contender after it gave free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter identical 13-year, $98 million contracts last summer. But the Wild struggled when they finally got on the ice following the lockout, managing just 22 goals while sputtering to a 4-5-1 start.

They got hot in the middle of the season, winning seven in a row and 17 of 24 over one stretch, then slumped a bit at the end. With a chance to clinch a postseason spot, they lost 6-1 at home to Edmonton on Friday.

Minnesota finally secured its first playoff appearance in five years when Niklas Backstrom stopped 29 shots in a 3-1 win at Colorado on Saturday night.

“I think we expected ourselves to be in the playoffs, and I don’t think you’re going to find a lot of guys who are relaxing now and exhaling and just being satisfied that we’re here,” Parise said. “We want to win. We’re not just happy that we made it. We want to keep playing, and we think that we’re capable of it.”

The Wild could get a boost in Game 1 from the return of Jason Pominville, who missed the last two games after taking an elbow to the chin against the Los Angeles Kings. The right wing practiced on Monday, but coach Mike Yeo was tight-lipped about his status for the opener at Chicago.

Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery and center Dave Bolland have been ruled out with lower-body injuries, but they could return for Game 2 on Friday night. Emery teamed with Corey Crawford to form the league’s best goalie tandem this season, making his absence of particular note heading into the matchup with Mikko Koivu and Minnesota.

“They’re a scary team,” forward Patrick Kane said. “You look at the talent they have, guys like Parise, Suter, Koivu, you could go on and on naming players. They got a great goaltender in Backstrom, who’s proven that he can steal games. I think we just got to worry about ourselves first and foremost, but when you’re facing a team like this, you know that they can win any game they play in.”

Kane had the winning goal in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup finals, lifting Chicago to its first championship since 1961. But it’s been nothing but playoff heartbreak for the Blackhawks since the celebration in Philadelphia.

They were eliminated by Vancouver in seven games in the first round in 2011. They lost to Phoenix in six games in last year’s quarterfinals, when each of the first five games went to overtime.

“Even the Vancouver series two years ago, we were frustrated with the way things ended up,” defenseman Duncan Keith said. “Now two years removed now, I don’t think we can be any hungrier to have success.”

That frustration from the loss to the Coyotes turned into motivation for the Blackhawks, who set an NHL record by recording at least one point in the first 24 games of the season. They also finished strong, going 11-2-2 in their final 15 games to secure the Presidents’ Trophy awarded to the team with the most points.

“Obviously we know how good they are, and we know the season that they’ve had and we know the challenge that it is,” Yeo said. “We just have to make sure that we’re focused on ourselves.”

And about that Presidents’ Trophy.

The team with the most regular-season points has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in three of the past four years. San Jose was bounced by Anaheim in 2009, and Washington lost to Montreal three years ago. Vancouver lost to Boston in the finals in 2011, then was eliminated by Los Angeles in the first round last season.

The Kings were the eighth seed in the West when they stormed to the Cup last year, and now the Wild are hoping for a repeat performance.

“I think we should be going into these playoffs knowing that anything can happen,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We’re very respectful for our opponent. When we look at their lines and look at their lineup, it’s a dangerous team. But I’m going to be concentrating on what we have to do.”

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The team sold out all but two of its 24 home games, drawing an average of 18,794 fans. That breaks a franchise record set in the 2005-06 season.

With that in mind, St. Paul bar and restaurant owners are celebrating the return of playoff hockey for the first time in four years. That’s especially after man business owners were hurt badly by the lack of business with the NHL lockout.

“It’s going to be huge for myself and just about every other establishment around Xcel,” said Pat Boemer, owner of McGovern’s on West 7th. “Any kind of Wild game, especially a playoff game, brings in about five times the amount of business you would have on any given night.”

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The playoff push is accompanied by perfect timing. Spring’s tardy arrival brings warmer temperatures and fans that flock to new, outdoor patios.

McGovern’s debuted a retractable roof enclosing its stone patio last March. Across the street, patrons enjoy Cossetta’s new, multi-million dollar renovation complete with rooftop bar.

“Dave (Cossetta) is a friend of mine and their patio has really been a coup for us, too,” Boemer said. “We feed off of each other. This area has become a real destination spot.”

Bartenders and servers, many who had their hours severely cut during the lockout, have now become some of the biggest Wild fans in St. Paul. The deeper the team advances into the playoffs, the more home games make for home crowds.

“They’re not cursing them anymore because they’re making some good money,” Boemer said. “When it comes to the lockout, everything is forgotten.”

The Wild’s first round schedule is as follows:

Game 1 – Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m. at United Center

Game 2 – Friday, May 3, 8:30 p.m. at United Center

Game 3 – Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center

Game 4 – Tuesday, May 7, 8:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center

*Game 5 – Thursday, May 9, TBA at United Center

*Game 6 – Saturday, May 11, TBA at Xcel Energy Center

*Game 7 – Sunday, May 12, TBA at United Center

*If necessary. All times Central. Times subject to change.

Their reward is a first-round playoff match-up with the best team in the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s the first time the Wild is in the playoffs since 2008. The Wild will travel to Chicago for Game 1 of the series at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Game two will be in Chicago at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

The series then comes to Minnesota for Game three at 3 p.m. Sunday at Xcel Energy Center. Game four will be at 8:30 p.m. next Tuesday, May 7, at Xcel Energy Center. It’s a best-of-seven series, with the winner advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals.

Zach Parise scored and Pierre-Marc Bouchard added a late empty-net goal for the Wild, who earned the No. 8 seed and will face top-seeded Chicago in the first round of the postseason. Minnesota had a chance to wrap up a spot on Friday, but lost 6-1 at home to Edmonton.

Backstrom came up big in the third period, turning aside 15 shots. He improved to 24-5-3 against the Avalanche.

Ryan O’Reilly had the lone goal for Colorado, which finished in last place in the Western Conference. It remains to be seen if coach Joe Sacco is retained after the Avalanche failed to make the playoffs for a third straight season.

The Wild were thought to be almost a lock for the postseason after investing $196 million in free agents Ryan Suter and Parise. But they had to sweat it out to the last game of the regular season.

Just a month ago, the Wild led the Northwest Division but swayed down the stretch, going 5-8-1.

They had no wiggle room as Columbus — tied with the Wild for the final spot heading into the last game — rallied to beat Nashville, 3-1. Minnesota held the tiebreaker over the Blue Jackets, provided the team beat Colorado.

Minnesota had a 5-on-3 advantage for 55 seconds in the third period, only to be stymied by Semyon Varlamov. The Avs goaltender also stopped Jason Zucker on a breakaway moments after the penalty expired.

Colorado pulled Varlamov with around 1:30 remaining, but struggled to work it into the Wild zone. Bouchard sealed the win by hustling down the ice and tapping the puck into the net with 3.4 seconds left.

Setoguchi gave the Wild a lead midway through the second period when he wound up and lined a slap shot past a screened Varlamov on a power play.

Minnesota caught a break early in the second when a goal by Chuck Kobasew was disallowed after replay officials ruled the puck went in on a kick. Kobasew’s right skate knocked it past Backstrom, who was livid when officials signaled for the goal.

The play went under review for several minutes, before the referee announced it no good, drawing boos from the crowd.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere rested after hurting his groin the night before, giving the start to Varlamov. Giguere went out late in the third against Phoenix and Varlamov helped the Avalanche to a shootout win.

Varlamov, who turned 25 on Saturday, was kept quite busy by the Wild, stopping 30 shots.

Parise gave Minnesota a quick 1-0 lead when he scored on a backhanded shot early in the first. The team kept the pressure on Varlamov, but couldn’t add another as he turned back 15 shots in the period.

Late in the opening 20 minutes, Colorado tied it when Gabriel Landeskog dug out a puck in the corner and fed it to O’Reilly, who beat Backstrom with a wrist shot.

This might have been the last NHL game for Colorado’s Milan Hejduk, who recently said he’s going to contemplate his future in the offseason before reaching any sort of decision about coming back for a 15th season. It’s been a tough season for Hejduk, the last remaining link to the 2001 Stanley Cup squad. He had a career-low 11 points and missed time with shoulder and torso injuries.

The 37-year-old Hejduk is second in franchise history in games (1,020), fourth in goals (375) and fifth in assists (430). He’s also just the third Czech-born player to reach 800 points, joining Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias.

NOTES: The Wild recalled Fs Stephane Veilleux and Zucker from Houston of the American Hockey League before the game. Veilleux was a scratch. The team also reassigned forwards Jake Dowell and Carson McMillan to Houston. … Colorado Fs Matt Duchene and P.A. Parenteau each finished with 43 points. The only previous time in the franchise’s 32-year history it had teammates share the squad’s scoring title was 2008-09 when Hejduk and Ryan Smyth each had 59 points.

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Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle each added a goal and two assists for the Oilers, who won for the second time in 11 games but will miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 38 shots.

Mikko Koivu scored for the Wild, who could have gotten into the playoffs for the first time in five seasons with a win. Instead, Minnesota will enter Saturday’s season finale at Colorado tied with Columbus for eighth place in the West, one point behind seventh-place Detroit. Minnesota owns the tiebreaker and can secure a postseason spot with a win.

If Detroit gets a point in its season finale, Columbus wins, and Minnesota loses, the Wild would be eliminated.

A lot was expected from the Wild this season after the club signed the top two available NHL free agents — center Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter — to identical 13-year, $98 million contracts last July 4.

But the season started slowly and fans began to grumble before the Wild got on a roll in March and briefly joined Vancouver atop the Northwest Division.

A 4-8-1 mark in April — including a 1-3 slide in their last four games when they were outscored 17-4 — has moved the Wild to a dangerous position in the West.

With desperation settling in, Minnesota played one of its more complete games of the season on Tuesday in a 2-1 win over Los Angeles.

Since then, coach Mike Yeo has continually reminded his players not to take anything for granted against the struggling Oilers squad.

The message didn’t sink in.

Potter scored 27 seconds into the game when his one-timer from near the top of the right circle beat goalie Niklas Backstrom, who had lost his stick.

Hall made it 2-0 at 8:02 as he forced a turnover, picked up the loose puck at the right wall, cut into the right circle and put a rising wrist shot through the legs of Suter and over the glove hand of Backstrom.

Minnesota’s Matt Cullen missed on two quality chances on one shift late in the first period, and Edmonton countered at the other end with Potter scoring his second of the period. He lifted a wrist shot over the glove of Backstrom, who 17-0 against Edmonton at home.

Much to the delight of the capacity crowd, Backstrom, who allowed three goals on five shots, was pulled for Josh Harding, who hadn’t played since Feb. 7 after he developed complications from the multiple sclerosis medication he has been taking. Harding finished with eight saves.

Eberle scored 4 minutes into the second on a shot from below the right circle that beat Harding high on the stick side, and scored again on a wrist shot midway through the period before Yakupov tipped in a pass from Hall to make it 6-0 at 13:55.

Koivu scored midway through the third.

NOTES: Minnesota’s Zenon Konopka and Edmonton’s Mike Brown fought 2 seconds into the game. … Wild F Jason Pominville missed the game because of an upper body injury. He was elbowed in the head by the Kings’ Dustin Brown on Tuesday and hasn’t practiced since. Brown was given a two-game suspension by the NHL for the hit. … Oilers D Ryan Whitney, who injured his leg Wednesday, missed the game. … Wild LW Mike Rupp returned after sitting out four games with a lower body injury.

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Beat the Edmonton Oilers Friday night, and the Wild is a playoff team. It would be the team’s first playoff berth since 2008. The Wild could’ve clinched a playoff berth Thursday night, but the Columbus Bluejackets stayed alive with a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars.

The Wild has two games left and is currently eighth in the Western Conference with 53 points. They’re one point behind the Red Wings, but can move up to seventh with a win Friday night against the Oilers. The puck drops at about 7 p.m. The Wild finishes the regular season Saturday at Colorado.

Minnesota Wild officials said single-game tickets for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the Xcel Energy Center box office. They also go on sale online at noon.

Kings defenseman Slava Voynov signaled to a teammate on the other side he was open, corralled a perfect through-the-slot pass at the far edge of the right circle and wound up for the potential tying shot. Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom lunged to block the puck with the middle of his right leg and smothered it in the crease with help from defenseman Ryan Suter with 11 seconds left.

Almost everyone in the arena exhaled.

“I thought Backy was very good tonight, making key saves and key times,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said after the 2-1 win on Tuesday that tightened his team’s grip on seventh place in the Western Conference. “I thought he had a sense of control and kind of an air of confidence about him tonight, which is obviously extremely important. No matter how hard you play, you can’t play perfect.”

The Wild know that well.

They lost eight of their first 11 games in April, including a couple at home when they dominated most of the night only to lose a critical contest. This time, they were able to match their intensity with the goals that are all that matter.

“You just have to stick with it. We talked before: There’s going to be ups and downs,” captain Mikko Koivu said.

With 53 points, the Wild are three points behind sixth-place St. Louis and two points ahead of eighth-place Columbus. Ninth-place Detroit took 50 points into Wednesday’s game against Los Angeles. After that, the Blues, Wild, Blue Jackets and Red Wings each have two games remaining over the final three days of the regular season.

Minnesota would win a tiebreaker with Columbus because of more non-shootout victories, 21 to 17. Detroit had 19, before hosting the Kings. The Wild only need to beat either Edmonton at home on Friday or win at Colorado on Saturday to secure a place in the playoffs.

They can clinch a spot even before they play again, if the Blue Jackets lose at Dallas on Thursday.

After signing Suter and Zach Parise to those mega contracts last summer, this lockout-shortened season took on a playoffs-or-bust vibe. In January and March, the Wild’s first postseason appearance since 2008 looked like a mere formality. In February and April, not so much.

They lost 6-1 at San Jose last Thursday and 4-1 at home to Calgary on Sunday, heightening the tension and pressure to the point where a team-wide meeting was held before Monday’s practice. The clear-the-air session apparently did some good.

“Well, right now it looks pretty good, right?” Koivu said. “But we all know how you have to play the game. It’s just every game we’re trying to do the same things that we’re supposed to do, and a lot of that is mental right now getting toward the end of the season. Your mind has to be in it each and every shift. It’s not about effort. It’s about making the right plays.”

They did that against the Kings.

Suter played 32-plus minutes, the fifth time he’s played more than half of the game in the last nine appearances. His partner on defense, rookie Jonas Brodin, was on the ice for a career-high 29 minutes and 22 seconds. Koivu, Parise and rookie Charlie Coyle were all over the ice on the first line. Cal Clutterbuck was relentless, registering six hits and ending his 18-game streak without a goal in a successful union with Devin Setoguchi and Matt Cullen on the new-look second line.

When Jason Pominville was knocked out of the game by an elbow from Kings captain Dustin Brown in the second period, everyone else had to play and contribute a little bit more.

“The last game could’ve unraveled us, too, and it didn’t. That’s how you respond,” Yeo said.

NOTES: The Wild had Wednesday off from practice. … Backup goalie Josh Harding has been picked as the Wild nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the NHL player for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport. Harding was on injured reserve for two months while he adjusted to medication for multiple sclerosis, a disease he was diagnosed with last summer. Harding returned to the active roster this week. The 28-year-old appeared in four games this season before being sidelined.

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They turned that, just barely, into a critical win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Charlie Coyle and Cal Clutterbuck scored 16 seconds apart late in the first period, helping the Wild break their five-game home losing streak and hang on to beat the Kings 2-1 on Tuesday night.

“I really believe that competitors in games like that find a way to go out and be really good,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “And that’s what we had.”

Jeff Carter’s slap shot whizzed past Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom with an improbable 0.8 seconds left before the second intermission, pulling the Kings within one. It was Carter’s 26th goals, tied for third in the NHL. Then as the Kings created some late energy, Slava Voynov’s shot from the far edge of the right circle was stopped by a sprawling Backstrom with 11 seconds remaining in the game to preserve the lead.

“You’ve got to pay 60 minutes playing a desperate hockey team,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said, adding: “We turned the puck over too much in the first period. Eventually when you have that much skill on the other side, they’re going to score.”

With a 3-7-1 record in the last 11 games since this month began and that playoff spot still unsecured, the Wild badly needed a victory. After losing their last two games by a combined 10-2 margin, their hold on seventh place in the Western Conference was tenuous with two games left in the regular season after this.

“The bar has been set, and we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to bring at least that the next game,” Yeo said.

Clutterbuck snapped an 18-game streak without a goal. Relentless on both ends all night with his new linemate Devin Setoguchi, Clutterbuck raised his arms in celebration after his tight-angle shot sneaked between Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier and the left post. He jumped against the boards, with the Wild ahead 2-0.

“This was probably the biggest game I’ve ever played in for this franchise, so I was excited,” Clutterbuck said.

The Kings failed to get a point for only the third time in their last 15 games. Bernier, in the net for the first time in seven games in relief of Jonathan Quick, made 23 saves. The Kings can’t do better than the fourth seed, but they don’t want to fall to fifth or sixth and lose that home-ice advantage for the first round. San Jose and St. Louis have been right behind all month.

“We didn’t play three periods. We didn’t deserve to win the game,” Kings captain Dustin Brown said.

Brown fired up the Wild with a vicious-looking elbow to the jaw of Jason Pominville in the second period that went without penalty and knocked Pominville on his back. He woozily and slowly skated off the ice with a trainer’s guidance and didn’t return to the bench. Yeo said he had no update on Pominville’s condition and declined to comment on the hit. Brown, who had the puck on his stick at the time, said he was trying to brace himself for a hit from Pominville.

“We’ve seen it on the replay, but I’m sure someone will look at it,” Setoguchi said. “The game’s going fast. From our end, it was right in the head on the face.”

The Wild already without one of their top scorers in Dany Heatley for the remainder of the season. Losing Pominville for any stretch would be a significant setback.

“I think we handled it really well, and that’s something to be focusing on,” said Backstrom, who stopped 22 shots. “Grow on that, that nothing rattles us no matter what happens there.”

NOTES: Kings C Anze Kopitar has his goal-less streak reach 14 straight games. … The Wild’s AHL affiliate, moving to Des Moines, Iowa, next season, will be called, naturally, the Iowa Wild. … Josh Harding was on the active roster as Backstrom’s backup for the first time since early February. Harding was placed on injured reserve after developing complications from the multiple sclerosis medication he’s been taking, and he was returned from a conditioning stint with Houston on Monday. … Bernier’s shutout streak against the Wild ended at 89:06. … Fourth-line enforcer Zenon Konopka returned from a foot injury for the Wild.

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ST. PAUL (WCCO) — It’s make-or-break time for the Wild as they try to white-knuckle their way into the playoffs.

So today, they made three roster moves — bringing up forwards Jake Dowell and Stepane Veilleux, and goalie Josh Harding, and sending down Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker and Darcy Kuemper.

“Regardless of whether we were already in the playoffs,” coach Mike Yeo said, “you’re always looking to try to improve your team. And if something’s not working, then …”

Then you shake things up, which is what the Wild did this morning, injecting experience into the lineup.

“The veteran side of it is important this time of year, too,” Yeo said. “And that had a lot to do with it. It’s not an easy time of year for young kids.”

With just three games to go in a laces-tight playoff race, it’s not an easy time for anybody. Every game, every result, magnified by necessity.

“There is pressure,” forward Zach Parise said. “There’s always pressure. And I think right now it’s risen a little bit, and we have to respond the right way. And I think we will.”

“We know we’re a good team,” added forward Kyle Brodziak. “And we’ve got to trust each other, trust our game, and have fun with it.”

An interesting thing happened at practice Monday morning. It started nearly an hour late. The team held a meeting, laid everything out on the table and talked about where things stand.

And where to go from here.

“Good meeting,” Brodziak said, “just to get everybody on the same page of where we’re at and what we need to do.”

“One of the great comments today from one of our players — and I don’t need to say who it was — was: ‘We can’t sit around and hope, for anything. We can’t sit around and hope that a team that we’re ahead of loses. We can’t sit around and hope that the outcome is (good), we just have to take care of what we can take care of,’” Yeo said. “And if we do that we’ll be fine.”

Despite long stretches of dominance, they remain stuck due to a plucky performance by the noncompliant Calgary Flames.

Joey MacDonald made 34 saves, Mark Cundari scored a goal in his first NHL game and the Flames beat the Wild 4-1 on Sunday night.

“We certainly don’t seem to like doing things the easy way,” said Minnesota coach Mike Yeo, whose team lost for the fifth straight time at home.

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Mikael Backlund, Mike Cammalleri and Jiri Hudler also scored for the Flames, who are long out of the postseason hunt but have won six of their last eight games.

“It’s not about spoiling. It’s just about playing hard and winning,” MacDonald said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys here trying to prove a point for next year.”

Zach Parise got his team-high 17th goal for the Wild, who will likely need to win two of their three remaining games to make the playoffs without help from others. They’re in seventh place in the Western Conference with 51 points, while Columbus, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix remain in a tight pack still alive behind them.

“We put ourselves in a tough spot, but we’re still in the driver’s seat. It makes it more difficult now, but we’ve just got to dig deeper,” center Kyle Brodziak said.

The Wild, who are 0-6 in April against the six teams ahead of them in the West, entered this final stretch with the supposed fortune of facing teams in the bottom four spots in the conference in three of four games, counting this one.

“We played OK, had some good stretches, but we can’t lose that game,” center Matt Cullen said.

The Wild lost despite outshooting the Flames 35-24, including 25-12 over the first two periods. Parise had nine shots on net himself.

“We’ve got to put ‘em in. That’s all there is to it,” Parise said.

Rookie right wing Ben Hanowski played his first NHL game in his home state, after being traded to Calgary from Pittsburgh in the Jarome Iginla swap last month and signing with the Flames last week following a four-year career at St. Cloud State. Hanowski’s former college teammates watched the game from a suite.

Trading Iginla and veteran defenseman Jay Boumeester signaled the official start of a renovation project for the Flames, who haven’t won a playoff series since they reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 and last reached the postseason in 2009.

But a young team with nothing to lose and a lot to prove can be just as dangerous of an April opponent as one fighting for a spot in the playoffs. The Flames won five of their previous seven games coming in.

“Whoever we put in the lineup, they play with pride,” coach Bob Hartley said. “Yes, some people might say we have zero pressure and the guys are loose, but at the same time they deserve credit.”

McDonald has won four of his last five starts, allowing a total of nine goals. The only loss came at home against the Wild last Monday by a 4-3 decision, a game that Minnesota had to hang on to win after the Flames scored twice late in the third period. Hanowski had a goal in that game, his NHL debut.

If the 36-year-old Miikka Kiprusoff doesn’t come back next season, MacDonald, who was signed off waivers in February after spending the previous two seasons with Detroit, will give Calgary a candidate to consider for the net. He was beaten only by Parise after a slick-passing, extra-effort score by Minnesota’s first line down low.

Cundari, who came to the Flames in the trade with St. Louis that sent Boumeester to the Blues, scored on a power play in the first period. Backlund’s goal came in the middle of the game. Cammalleri added another man-advantage goal, and Hudler tacked on an empty-netter for good measure in the final minute.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys who are getting opportunities, and we’re trying to develop a winning culture, a hard-working culture and that identity for next year,” right wing Lee Stempniak said.

For the Wild, this felt like their previous home game, April 13 against Columbus, when they outshot the Blue Jackets 41-22 but lost 3-2 in a shootout. They controlled the pace of play for most of the evening, but Calgary refused to quit. Clayton Stoner tried to fire up the home crowd by fighting with Cory Sarich in the second period, but Backlund scored to put the Flames back in front and quiet the building less than 3 minutes later.

The Wild play at home Tuesday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings, who began the weekend in fourth place. They host Edmonton Friday and wrap up the regular season Saturday at Colorado.

So how do they keep calm and carry on?

“If we’re going to sit here and pretend that other teams aren’t feeling the same thing, then you’re kidding yourself. That’s part of the challenge. You should actually relish that,” Yeo said.

NOTES: The Wild fell to 11-4-2 against Northwest teams this season, ending an eight-game intra-division winning streak. … St. Paul native and recently retired NFL player Matt Birk, who spent 10 seasons with Minnesota and four with Baltimore, was at the game to make the traditional “Let’s Play Hockey” call to introduce the puck drop.

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Wild are in the middle of a playoff push, but Wild forward Charlie Coyle’s thoughts have largely been elsewhere this week.

“That’s more important stuff out there. Keeping everyone safe. And you’ve got family back there, so you’re always worried and stuff like that,” Coyle said.

Most of Coyle’s family lives in the Boston area. He’s from Weymouth, a south suburb, and played hockey for Boston University.

“I knew a few people who were kinda working it and around the area, but nowhere close to where the bombings went off,” he said. “Everyone’s good. Obviously you have to feel for the families that are affected, but no one close to me or anyone I knew.”

Despite three games in four days, Coyle kept a close eye on the coverage of what was happening back home.

“I tried to keep up with it as much as I could,” he said.

And he was watching when they caught the second suspect Friday night with mixed emotion.

“It was kind of relieving to know that they finally caught the suspects, but you can’t forget, obviously, the families that were affected and everyone else who was affected by the tragedy,” he said.

He’ll also never forget the way his city responded.

“Everyone’s kind of pulling for each other and helping each other out and that’s the beauty of it. There might be some bad people out there, but I think there’s more good than bad and that was a big example of it,” he said. “It’s a shame it happens, but it does bring everyone together, closer together, and that’s just the way Boston is.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Logan Couture and Marty Havlat did much more than just shut down Minnesota’s top line. They dominated the score sheet for San Jose, as well.

Couture and Havlat each scored two goals and the Sharks closed in on a ninth straight playoff berth, beating the Wild 6-1 on Thursday night for their most lopsided win of the season.

“The last 10 games or so we’ve been matched up against top lines, so it’s a challenge every night,” Couture said. “Coming to the rink we’re excited to do it. To have a point night like this is always nice.”

Couture, Havlat and Patrick Marleau controlled their matchup with Mikko Koivu, Zack Parise and Charlie Coyle by winning faceoffs, getting the puck into the Wild zone and converting on their scoring chances. Couture and Marleau had two assists apiece and Havlat added another as the trio combined for nine points.

Raffi Torres and Joe Pavelski also scored for the Sharks, who have won three straight games to remain tied for fourth place with Los Angeles in the race for home-ice advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Antti Niemi made 26 saves in his 22nd straight start.

“We all feel comfortable,” captain Joe Thornton said. “We all like where our game is. We can still improve in some things and we still got some games in the regular season to win. But, yeah, we keep getting better. It’s a perfect time for that.”

Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the lone goal for the Wild, who dropped behind St. Louis into seventh place in the conference. Minnesota has a four-point lead over ninth-place Dallas and Detroit in the battle for the final playoff spot in the conference but has one fewer game remaining.

“We didn’t deserve anything today,” said Niklas Backstrom, who was replaced in the third period after allowing five goals. “We know we can play a lot better than that. We weren’t playing well at any point of the game today. We have to get back to basics and do the small things right. We have to get back to playing our game. If we play the right way, we’ll be fine.”

Havlat has struggled to produce in his two seasons in San Jose since being acquired in a deal for Heatley in July 2011. But he has excelled against the Wild this month with three goals and two assists. He has no points in his last 10 games against the rest of the league.

Along with the two goals, Havlat also drew the penalty that set up Couture’s power-play tally when he was held by Clayton Stoner early in the second.

The Sharks capitalized on a nifty passing sequence when Joe Thornton fed Patrick Marleau behind the goal line and Marleau set up Couture in the slot for a one-timer that made it 2-0.

“The way he’s been playing lately he’s driving our bus right now,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He’s the head guy and he’s making it happen and we’re happy for him.”

Bouchard brought the Wild back when he beat Niemi with a backhand on a breakaway off a nice feed from Jason Pominville, but Havlat restored the two-goal lead late in the period with help from his linemate Couture.

Couture leaped to knock down Backstrom’s clearing attempt behind the net and quickly fed Havlat in front for the easy goal with Backstrom scrambling to get back in position.

“It was lucky,” Couture said. “I think I reached behind my head and was able to knock it down. I looked right up and saw Marty in the slot. So I’ll take it.”

Torres and Pavelski then broke the game open when they teamed up for a pair of goals in a 22-second span early in the third period. The first came when Torres forced a turnover from Jonas Brodin and then skated around the net to beat Backstrom on a wraparound for his first goal with the Sharks on an assist from Pavelski.

They stayed on for the ensuing faceoff scored again to end Backstrom’s night. Torres shot was blocked and went right to Pavelski in the slot, who scored his 14th goal of the season.

Couture added his second against Darcy Kuemper on an assist from Havlat midway through the third.

The Sharks took a 1-0 lead after the first period when Niemi stopped Jason Pominville on a breakaway shortly before San Jose capitalized on a fortuitous bounce. Havlat’s centering pass to Logan Couture deflected off the stick of back-checking Mikko Koivu and into the net to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to play,” Pominville said. “If we had put that one away early it might have been a different game. But we just weren’t executing. We have to put it behind us and look ahead. We have to make sure we’re better. We have to make adjustments.”

NOTES: San Jose improved to 16-1-5 at home this season. … Havlat has four goals in his last 29 games with three coming against the Wild. … Minnesota F Mike Rupp missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

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The Wild made the long-anticipated announcement Thursday that their American Hockey League affiliate will relocate from Houston to Des Moines, starting next season.

Wild chief operating officer Matt Majka says the organization was unable to agree on terms of a new arena lease at the Toyota Center in Houston. The Aeros have been the Wild’s top minor league club in the 30-team AHL since 2001.

Des Moines is about a 3½-hour drive from the Twin Cities.

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